The Descendants & Hugo

Oh man I've been slack, again. I'll start my catch up by writing about the two best movies I've seen which are currently out at the cinema.

The Descendants

The Descendants recently won the award for best Drama at the Golden Globes, although it would probably better fit into the category that is sometimes referred to as "dramaedy", or comedy drama. Anyone who has seen director Alexander Payne's other movies such as Election and Sideways would be familiar with his seem less blend of the two genres. We start the film with George Clooney's character presented with a decision about what to do with a section of Hawaiian land his family has inherited from their DESCENDANTS (hence the film's title, right?) all the while trying dealing with the fact that his wife is in a coma from a water skiing accident and his two daughters playing up like brats.

The story is then turned on it it's head with the revelation that Clooney's wife had been cheating on him, and what follows is his journey to locate the guy she'd been sleeping with whilst attempting to re-connect with his daughters (the later of which probably comes about a bit too easily given the original setup.)

Unlike other movies similar to The Descendants the story never loses any momentum, remaining engaging from beginning to end. The characterisations are all extremely strong, the script is intelligent and funny, and yes, George Clooney probably does give the performance of his lifetime, while the rest of the cast are also good. It does suffer slightly from some mild formulaic elements and unusually fast transformation of his daughters behaviour, although for the most part it actually rises above these issues with it's wholly unsentimental approach to a story about family being able to rise above the worst situations when they bond and work together.

**** 1/2 out of *****

Hugo

When I heard that Martin Scorsese's new picture was going to be adapted from a children's book and in 3D I really didn't know what to think. The trailer didn't really help things either, however I shouldn't have known not to doubt Scorsese, who has made one of his best films in a while. In fact, what the trailer makes look like a whimsical, kids fantasy could be better described as a love letter to cinema set amongst beautiful production design and cinematography, and the best use of 3D since Avatar.

We start by following Hugo, who lives at a railway station in France operating the clocks. He spends the rest of his time stealing food and other items to fix a broken automaton (or robot). We soon find out that through his back story that he has been abandoned at the train station by his uncle after his father dies, and Hugo keeps the clocks running under the belief it will help him evade the station inspector (played by Sacha Baron Cohen in his usual humorous manor). When Hugo meets Isabelle (played by Chloe Grace Mortez) they make a discovery that changes the course of the movie, and I wont say any more to avoid spoilers.

As mentioned above, Hugo is a visually stunning movie, and the opening sequence alone is almost worth the price of admission. On top of this the movie has a very strong emotional heart and good message about finding your purpose in life and never letting go of your dreams, which is presented in a completed organic and un-cliched fashion. There are loads of references to classic cinema scattered throughout which blend very nicely into the narrative, and while these and other elements may put Hugo a bit above the heads of the audience trailer would be have you believe the film is targeting, this is certainly one of the most original and best films of 2011.

***** out of *****

Coming next, all the other movies I've been watching lately.